


Floor Thirty-Two

by MarkedSlicesOfTree



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-21 01:54:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9526658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkedSlicesOfTree/pseuds/MarkedSlicesOfTree
Summary: Katniss, desperate for a job, takes a position at the prestigious advertising agency where Peeta is a high ranking executive.





	

Katniss was not a fan of advertising, but she was also not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. At least, not a gift horse that came from someone who owed her as many favors as Gale did. She stood on the sidewalk across from building — one of the tallest in town, easily recognizable in the skyline she’s spent twenty five years looking out on from various perches on Overlook Mountain. Her fingers clenched at her sides and she for a moment imagined she was out in the woods, bow in hand, dirt beneath her feet and a hidden message in the shrubbery for her to find. Hunting deer? Not a problem. This? A bit more intimidating.  
  
The light turned red and Katniss forced herself forward, reaching back to check her braid was still intact after the thirty minute bus ride. She click-clacked through the revolving doors in heels that were already pinching her feet, and almost kept revolving back around to leave. But there was Prim to think about, Prim with dreams of college and nightmares of dead parents who could no longer support her. Prim who suffered while she stubbornly held out for a job that required her degree in ecology. No more.  
  
She took a breath and went in. The lobby was big and crowded, full of men and women with purpose. She tried to channel the general aura of determination and made for the wall of elevators across the floor. Someone clipped her shoulder halfway there and she almost tripped, but she made it. With a sigh of relief she walked into an elevator that two men had just left vacant, happy at the chance to ride alone.  
  
Just as the doors were about to close, a hand caught the door and forced them back. A man not too much older than her with sandy blond hair smiled at her and entered the elevator. His eyes were an icy blue, his skin fair, and his suit looked expensive. The watch on his wrist looked even more so. Katniss gave the barest smile of acknowledgment and adverted her eyes.  
  
“Ah, thirty-second floor, that’s me as well,” he said from her right.  
  
Katniss did the slight smile again and glanced over at him. He wasn’t much taller than her in her heels, her eyes aimed high and had to drop down to make contact.  
  
“Are you a new client?” he asked pleasantly. Katniss got the impression he’d be politely chit-chatting with anyone in this situation. Still, the attention was somewhat embarrassing. She didn’t feel like she belonged there and the irrational pit in her stomach was sure this man would send her home the second he realized it.  
  
“I’m starting a job today,” she managed to respond. She felt the curtness in her words as she said them. Her nervousness always seemed to manifest in rudeness.  
  
“Oh, I knew we had a new hire coming in soon, didn’t know much else. I’m Peeta, nice to meet you.”  
  
“Katniss,” she answered, shaking his hand. It was soft, at least compared to her calloused fingers. She pulled her hand back and wondered if he was the kind of guy who got manicures.  
  
“Happy to have you on board, Katniss.” He smiled and she saw genuine warmth in his eyes. Before she could catch herself she was smiling genuinely back.  
  
A final ding announced their arrival at their destination and Peeta gestured for her to exit before him.  
  
“Now Delly here—“ he walked forward with Katniss and waved to the receptionist, “—is great, and I’m sure she will be able to point you in the right direction to get settled in. I promise I’d do it myself but I have a meeting to get to. It was a pleasure meeting you, Katniss, till next time.”  
  
He walked away through the glass doors and left Katniss alone with the very well manicured woman typing behind the desk. She watched him leave and wondered at the air of confidence he had. Did everyone who worked here exude such self-assuredness?  
  
“I know honey, but you’ll get used to it eventually. Might want to close your mouth before you drool on your first day though,” Delly said, watching her computer screen. Katniss realized her mouth in fact was slightly ajar.  
  
“I wasn’t—“ she started to say, but Delly cut her off with a raised finger.  
  
“One sec, I’m printing out your welcome folder.” Delly still didn’t look at her as she clicked a few moments longer at the keyboard. Katniss took the time to examine her surroundings. The office was well light but not the harsh light you’d think of for a corporate space. The floors were hardwood with hardly a scuff, and framed art lined the white walls. On closer inspection, the majority of them were clearly ad prints that had come out of the agency.  
  
A printer under the desk started churning out papers and Delly opened a drawer to get out a plain manilla folder.  
  
“Cato will be your direct supervisor, and he’s in charge of getting you setup. You go through the door there and his office is the third on right. You’ll probably be shadowing him for the first few days to get an idea of how we do things here. I see you didn’t bring your portfolio in.” Delly looked at Katniss’s empty hands.  
  
“Um, no, I didn’t know—“  
  
“It’s fine, it’s just usually they like to have your boss take a look at your past stuff to get an idea of what you should be working on, you know since the person you’re working for didn’t necessarily hire you in. Cato will ask you to bring it in tomorrow, I’m sure.”  
  
The printer had finished, and Delly grabbed the twenty or so sheets of paper and added them to the folder before offering it to Katniss.  
  
“That’s just a lot of first day BS, you know. Fill it out, sign the dotted line, etcetera — you’ll have some free time today for it — and bring it back at the end of the day, I’ll file it with HR.”  
  
“Thanks.” Katniss took the folder and opened it to look at the top page. _Intellectual Property Declarations_. That page was going to be left blank, given Katniss hadn’t designed a thing in her life, much less enough for an entire portfolio. She made a mental note to kick Gale in the ass for lying about no-experience necessary.  
  
“Through the door there, third office on the right,” Delly repeated, and refocused her energy on her computer.  
  
“Thanks,” Katniss said again, not knowing what else to say. She closed the folder and started towards the door and her new career on the other side. As she grabbed the handle, she heard Delly say “good luck” in a sing-song tone behind her. The kind of “good luck” that comes from someone who’s seen a lot of people come and go.  
  
_For Prim_ , she reminded herself, and made her way down the hall.


End file.
